Speed Mobile and Web Innovation with API Management (APIM)

Speed Mobile and Web Innovation with API Management (APIM)

Web application programming interfaces — more generally known as just APIs — are a way to expose core business data and services to external business entities or apps for the purpose of business expansion. This is a hyper evolution of the current model where a website is considered only an interaction touchpoint between a business and people. Rapid development of browser- and mobile-based technologies has resulted in more and more businesses wanting to sell their services to third-party mobile apps and through multi-branded portals, instead of just relying on a direct end-customer selling model via their own websites.

API Management (APIM) provides an excellent platform for businesses to help accomplish these goals to directly impact their bottom lines. It is a way for businesses to make available core business functions in the form of consumable services to a large ecosystem of app developers and resellers. APIs are available for popular provider offerings including Google Transit, PayPal and Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service).

One of the most important factors that impacts usage of an API (and thus the ability of a business to grow) is the ease with which third-party app developers can quickly discover exposed APIs. The API Management platform provides this unique capability via the API Developer Portal which – along with some of the more standard features of analytics and reporting, API metering and billing, and mobile integration – is one of the hallmarks of a solid API Management platform.

Sirius’ Business Agility practice has established itself as a leading consulting provider in this ecosystem. For example, Sirius is helping a large floral and gourmet foods gift retailer with platform selection (IBM APIM), platform deployment, and architecture and design of a number of its Web APIs such as SubmitOrder, AccountInformation, SubmitPayment and more. Sirius has played a key role in establishing various security standards around these APIs, and Sirius’ architecture team is part of the client’s core Enterprise Architecture group. Sirius consultants are helping them carry out their first Web API roll-out by making these APIs available for consumption by the client’s new mobile application platform and its multi-branded portal (MBP).

Ask your Sirius representative about Sirius Business Agility offerings, or contact us for more information.